Galectins testing: New promises for the diagnosis and risk stratification of chronic diseases?

Galectins are carbohydrate binding proteins involved in several biological functions such as intracellular signaling, cell to cell interaction and exchanges between cells and the extracellular matrix. Galectins are therefore participating to the control of gene expression, the regulation of immune response and the control of cell growth and viability. Galectins have stimulated in one hand a great interest for their potent contribution to the physiopathology of several diseases and cancers and may represent in another hand relevant biomarkers to support the diagnosis and prognosis of several disorders.     

Multiplanar reconstruction: a new method for the diagnosis of tracheobronchial rupture?

OBJECTIVE: To compare multiplanar reconstruction with operative techniques (bronchoscopy, surgery and/or autopsy) for the diagnosis of tracheobronchial rupture. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. SETTING: Surgical intensive care unit. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: Tracheobronchial rupture was suspected on clinical grounds and from radiological findings. INTERVENTIONS: An initial helical computed tomography scan was performed on all patients meeting the inclusion criteria, and operative techniques were then performed. Multiplanar reconstructions were reformatted and reviewed by two independent radiologists. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Twenty-four consecutive patients met the inclusion criteria. Tracheobronchial rupture was diagnosed in 13 patients by at least one operative technique. Multiplanar reconstructions were positive in 15 patients. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of multiplanar reconstructions were 100% (95%CI, 85-100) and 82% (95%CI, 64-82), respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 87% (95%CI, 74-87) and 100% (95%CI, 78-100), respectively. For tracheobronchial rupture, the positive and negative likelihood ratios were 5.5 (95%CI, 2.35-5.5) and 0 (95%CI, 0-0.24), respectively. The Kappa coefficients were 0.83 (95%CI, 0.6-1.06) for agreement between operative techniques and multiplanar reconstruction, and 0.91 (95%CI, 0.59-0.91) for agreement between the two radiologists. CONCLUSIONS: Multiplanar reconstruction appears to be a sensitive technique for the identification of tracheobronchial rupture because of its excellent negative likelihood ratio. In clinical practice, negative multiplanar reconstruction can exclude a diagnosis of tracheobronchial rupture, making bronchoscopy unnecessary. When multiplanar reconstruction is positive, tracheobronchial rupture should be confirmed by bronchoscopy. DESCRIPTOR: Trauma.     

Is color Doppler a reliable method for the diagnosis of malrotation?

Purpose

The gold standard for the diagnosis of malrotation is barium contrast study of the upper gastrointestinal system (UGCS), while color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) is another method used in the diagnosis. We investigated the value of CDUS for the diagnosis of malrotation in this study.

Methods

UGCS images, CDUS images, plain abdominal images, demographic data, and symptoms of 82 patients who were investigated for presumed malrotation during a 7-year period were evaluated, retrospectively.

Results

All patients underwent CDUS, and 18% of these patients were diagnosed with malrotation as the superior mesenteric vein was seen to be on the left of the superior mesenteric artery. We found that 16% of the 75 patients who underwent UGCS were diagnosed with malrotation. The sensitivity and specificity of CDUS in the diagnosis of malrotation was found to be 93.8 and 100%, respectively. The respective values for UGCS were 91.7 and 98.4%.

Conclusion

Current data in the literature and our results underline that UGCS may yield false-positive and false-negative results. Although CDUS was found to be a reliable method for the diagnosis of malrotation in our study, the limitations of UGCS are also recognized for CDUS. Prospective studies are needed to determine the more valuable method.

     

QuantiFERON-TB Gold: state of the art for the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection?

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major threat to global health. The recently launched Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis 2006-2015 highlights the need for accurate, simple and low-cost diagnostic tests for the detection of TB infection. For the first time in decades, new diagnostic tools have emerged that may facilitate this goal. The discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific immunodominant antigens has led to the development of interferon gamma-release assays that have been shown to have high sensitivity and specificity for TB disease. This review focuses on the QuantiFERON-TB Gold tests and addresses the potential strengths and limitations of the current assays, summarizes the available evidence for their use and identifies areas of future research and development. Although representing an advance in TB diagnostics, with the potential to have a significant impact on global TB control, many issues remain unanswered. The cost of the tests and laboratory requirements may limit their use in developing countries. Most importantly, additional studies are needed in TB-endemic regions, particularly in high-risk persons such as children and individuals who are also co-infected with HIV.     

Is there a role for sonography in the diagnosis of tears of the knee menisci?

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of sonography in diagnosing tears of the knee menisci. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we reviewed the sonographic examinations of the knees of 321 patients diagnosed with a torn meniscus on the basis of clinical findings. Of the 321 knees imaged, 216 were also examined using MRI or CT. Arthroscopic meniscectomy was performed on 126 knees. RESULTS: MRI or CT did not confirm 48% (71 cases) of the positive sonographic diagnoses (ie, false positives) and 72% (50 cases) of the negative sonographic diagnoses (ie, false negatives). Thus, the sonographic diagnosis was correct in 95 cases (44%) and incorrect in 121 cases (56%), yielding low rates of sensitivity (60%) and specificity (21%). Among the 126 cases in which arthroscopic meniscectomy was performed, arthroscopy confirmed 100% of the MRI or CT diagnoses of meniscal tears. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that sonography is not accurate enough to be used as the only imaging modality for diagnosing tears of the knee menisci.     

Remission versus response as the goal of therapy in ADHD: a new standard for the field?

BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has a substantial negative impact; however, within long-term follow-up studies, a proportion of patients do very well, both symptomatically and functionally, suggesting that the lower the symptom burden, the greater the functional improvements. Studies in major depressive disorder have identified a relationship between symptomatic remission and restoration of normal functioning. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article was to propose a definition of remission in ADHD, review remission rates in clinical trials for commonly used medications, and explore the relationship between symptomatic remission and optimal functioning. METHODS: Remission and response rates for medications were obtained through MEDLINE searches of English-language citations (1999-2005) and meeting abstracts (2003-2005) using the terms amphetamine, atomoxetine, methylphenidate, ADHD, efficacy, effectiveness, and controlled trial, as well as hand searches of efficacy studies. Evidence from randomized controlled trials, as well as effectiveness studies, where the proportions of patients achieving predefined cutoff points for remission or response are reported, was reviewed. Because higher remission rates were identified with the oral, osmotic, controlled-release system (OROS) of methylphenidate, a relationship between symptomatic response/remission and optimal functioning was explored further. RESULTS: Remission in ADHD should be defined as a loss of diagnostic status, minimal or no symptoms, and optimal functioning when individuals are being treated with or without medication. Symptomatic remission can be operationalized as a mean total score of S1 on most standardized questionnaires. For the medications examined (OROS methylphenidate, immediate-release methylphenidate, atomoxetine, and mixed amphetamine salts), response rates were comparable at approximately 70% to 75%; however, remission rates were higher with OROS methylphenidate compared with either immediate-release methylphenidate or atomoxetine (remission rates with amphetamines were not found). Benefits, including decreased illness burden as well as improved psychosocial and academic functioning, were associated with treatment versus no treatment and were greater with medication that offered higher remission rates. CONCLUSIONS: The literature provided evidence that greater symptom improvements are associated with greater functional improvements, emphasizing that remission of ADHD as defined should be the goal of therapy. Treatment ought to include the early use of strategies with the greatest chance of achieving remission. Future clinical research should use remission as the primary outcome.     

Limiting reductive stress for treating in-stent stenosis: the heart of the matter?

Restenosis after balloon angioplasty and stenting (BAS) remains an unsolved clinical dilemma for patients with coronary artery disease. A better understanding of the mechanisms that drive this phenomenon is likely to lead to more effective treatments. In this issue of the JCI, Ali et al. uncover a critical redox axis with the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1) at its hub and identify potential new therapeutic targets, such as ROS1 tyrosine kinase. This study represents a potential new approach to finding a treatment for BAS, with implications that may extend beyond BAS to other vasculopathies involving vascular remodeling.     

The diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency in the critically ill patient: does it really matter?

The definition of what constitutes a 'normal' adrenal response to critical illness is unclear. Consequently, published studies have used a variety of biochemical criteria to define 'adrenal insufficiency'. These criteria have been based on the baseline cortisol level or the increment in cortisol following corticotropin administration. However, in critically ill patients there are a number of confounding factors that make interpretation of these tests difficult. Furthermore, in those patients who are most likely to benefit from treatment with low-dose glucocorticoids, there is no evidence that treatment should be based on adrenal function testing. In those patients in whom the diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency may be important, this diagnosis may best be made based on the free cortisol level or the total cortisol level stratified by serum albumin.